2D/1N Putre, Vicuña National Reserve, Surire, National Park Isluga, Colchane, Cariquima, Iquique

The tour starts from the beautiful town of Putre, capital of the province of Parinacota in the XV region of Arica and Parinacota. We leave the village in direction of the National Reserve of the Vicuñas which, as its name implies, was created to preserve the vicuña. The flora and fauna of this place are very attractive as they include a great variety of species. In the National Reserve Las Vicuñas, you can discover majestic sceneries that are typical for the Chilean Highlands. We will explore the towns of Ancuta, consisting of just 5 houses, and Guallatire, located at 83 km of Putre at the foot of the volcano Guallatiri. Here you can enjoy the beautiful view of its peak covered in snow.

The journey continues, reaching the most captivating destination of this tour, the salt lake Surire. It is located at 4,200 m above sea level. Surire was declared national monument and is a truly magical place. The intensely white salt deposits contrast with the pure blue of the water of the lagoons, without doubt a delight to your eyes. The salt lake of Surire also preserves the existence of valuable species such as the ostrich (ñandu), flamingo, vicuña, alpaca and the llama, among others. And also the precious flamingos find their habitat in this extraordinary ecosystem: three out of the six existing flamingo species are regularly seen around the salt lake.

We will continue the tour to the Nationl Park Vulcano Isluga, located more than 4.000m above sea level, crossing the paths of the highlands, the desert and the pampa. The diversity is impressive and allows you to appreciate different landscapes within the park, such as the lagoon Arabilla, surrounded by small bofedales (wetlands) and forests of Queñua (typical tree of the highlands).

Afterward, we will be visiting the altiplanic communities of Enquelga and Isluga that are located in the middle of a bofedal where Llamas and Alpacas graze. Also, the churches made out of adobe are very beautiful to see. Finally, we will get to our destination Colchane, a typical Aymara village at the border to Bolivia at an altitude of 3.750m.

We leave Colchane in the early morning. Close to the border on the flanks of the mountains you will discover the giant cactuses that reach up to 10 meters high and can only be found in this area at an altitude of more than 3.700m. We will pass through the town of Cariquima, another representation of the ancient Aymara life that serves as a central meeting point of the indigenous cultures. It has been famous for many centuries for its beautiful handicrafts. Also, we are going to visit Chusmiza, a paradise at 3.200m above sea level surrounded by idyllic nature.

Afterward, you will get to know the biggest artistic representation of a human being in the world: The Atacama Giant, located at the flanks of the Cerro Unita (Unita Mountain) some kilometers away from the village Huara. This geoglyph attracts thousands of tourists every year and is considered one the most impressive geoglyph in the north of Chile. The figure measures 86 meters, representing a pre-Inca human. There are many interpretations about the meaning of this place. For example, people say that the geoglyph represents a god of an ancient culture that lived in the area around 1.000 and 1.400 b.C.

We will stop in the village of Huara, a place with favorable climatic and geographic conditions that convert it to a paradise for adventure- and eco-tourism. Here we will have lunch.

Continuing our trip, we will arrive at the most impressive nitrate mine of Chile. Humberstone was declared World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO. While today it is only a ghost town, it has become an important tourism attraction in the region. Rust and ruins symbolize the beauty, remoteness and silence of this ex-nitrate-mine. While walking the dusty streets under the sun and exploring the abandoned houses you will find various marks and signatures left by the numerous visitors that have come to discover this fantastic town in the pampa of Tamarugal.

Walking through the town, you can find a swimming pool, a tennis field, one single shop and the administration office. From the silence of the ghost town, we will then make our way back into the city. You can choose to end the tour either in Iquique or Arica.